The treatment and disposal of stored hazardous waste is a challenge. Prior to treatment and/or disposal, it is often necessary to store waste in a container. One possible reason for storing waste is that, at present, there may be no effective procedure for treating it. Another reason may be that the waste is not adequately characterized to make a determination of the appropriate treatment procedure. Thus, situations have arisen where large quantities of untreated waste remain stored in containers and await treatment.
A typical waste storage container for a liquid waste is a metal drum having a lid. Waste is poured into the container, and a lid is sealed to the container to prevent the waste from escaping. When the time comes to dispose of the waste, it may be necessary to determine its composition. Since an analysis of the waste composition from a sealed container may be necessary before an appropriate treatment and disposal procedure is implemented, a device for extracting a sample of waste from a sealed container is required.
Other types of sealed containers, which may hold hazardous materials, would similarly require a device for extracting a sample of their contents to determine an effective procedure for treatment and/or disposal. Munitions, which may contain dangerous chemical weapons, fall in this category. It may also be important to obtain a fluid sample onsite, and to obtain the sample quickly, effectively, and safely. Importantly, during a sampling procedure, the user must avoid exposure to the material being sampled while obtaining a sample and while transporting the sample to a site for analysis. Devices which allow one to tap and/or sample the fluid contents of containers are known.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,350,052 entitled "Apparatus and Method for Tapping and Extracting Oil Samples From an Underground High Pressure Pipe-Type Transmission Cable System" by R. W. Kendall which issued Sep. 21, 1982, an apparatus and method for extracting oil from high-voltage cables is described. After removing any covering from the outer surface of the cable, the nipple of the apparatus is welded to the pipe, forming a chamber. After drilling a hole in the cable and withdrawing the drill bit, the chamber fills with oil from the cable. A ball valve is installed to control the flow of oil out of the cable.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,704,383 by D. A. Kammeraad et al. entitled "Tool and Method For Removing Fluid From Container" which issued Jan. 6, 1998, a tool for tapping and removing fluid from a container is described. The tool bit is configured to bore a hole through a container wall. The shank has a frustoconically-shaped, threaded outer surface which sealingly engages the wall as the shank is advanced into the container. Opposing inlets in the bit communicate with an internal passageway within the shank to allow fluid from a container to enter the tool via the inlets and move into the passageway within the shank. An assembly attached to the shank houses a valve piston which prevents fluid in the shank passageway from escaping. A fluid collection unit can be attached to the valve assembly to obtain fluid samples. FIG. 5 of the '383 patent shows the tool fully engaged with the container wall. As FIG. 5 shows, formation of a seal between the sealing surface and the container wall results in deformation of the container wall. Furthermore, advancement of the frustoconically-shaped shank into the container wall increases the borehole size as the shank is advanced into the wall.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,558,140 by J. E. Clark II entitled "Device For Draining Fluid From a Container" which issued Sep. 24, 1996, a fluid draining device for removing engine oil is described. The device has a threaded screw with a sharpened puncturing tip and an internal fluid channel with at least one opening just behind the tip. It also has a threaded screw guide connected to a strap, which can be wrapped around a container and tightened. An opening in the strap coaxial with the bore of the screw guide allows the screw to pass through the strap. An optional sealing material having an opening coaxial with the strap opening may be placed between the clamp means and the container wall to assist in forming a leak proof seal.
A portable tool for sampling fluid from a sealed container while preventing exposure to the contents is clearly desirable.
Therefore, an object of the invention is to provide a portable tool for collecting fluid from a sealed container without exposure of the sampler to the fluid.
Another object of the invention is to provide a fluid collecting tool that can be drilled into a sealed container without exposure of the user to wall shavings created while drilling.
A further object of the invention is to provide a fluid collecting tool from which a fluid sample or multiple fluid samples can be easily and rapidly withdrawn from sealed containers.
Additional objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.